Restaurant events: Tomato days, new restaurants and the return of the annual Utah beer festival

Restaurants • Tomato days, new local restaurants and the return of the annual Utah beer festival

By Kathy Stephenson The Salt Lake Tribune

Published August 21, 2012 3:59 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Ten Salt Lake City restaurants are celebrating Tomato Days through Saturday, Sept. 8. Purchase the special tomato-themed menu item and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Wasatch Community Gardens for its community and education programs. Participating restaurants include:

Chef Todd Gardiner, formerly of Z Tejas, recently opened The Coffee Bar in the Lamplighter Square, 1615 S. Foothill Drive, Salt Lake City. Besides coffee, the bar serves cocoa, cider, chai, Italian sodas, juices and features breakfast pastries from Pierre's Country Bakery. It's just phase one for Gardiner: In September, he plans to open Taqueria27 adjacent to the coffee shop. It will serve what he terms "Latin street food with a modern flair" and will have a large selection of 100 percent agave tequilas. For more information, call 385-259-0712 or visit Facebook at Taqueria27andCOFFEEBAR.

New chef at Z'Tejas

Sam Lubing has been hired as the new executive chef at Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill in The Gateway, replacing Todd Gardner, who recently left to open his own restaurant. Lubing, a graduate of the Western Culinary Institute, was most recently with Salt Lake's Red Iguana restaurants, overseeing the kitchen, dining room and catering operations. Prior to that, he was general manager and executive chef for Gepettos in Holladay.

New Farmington restaurant

Parkstone Wood Kitchen, a locally-owned restaurant that serve steaks, ribs, wood-fired pizzas as well as soups and salads, recently opened at Station Park in Farmington. It's located near the theater, and offers a view of the fountain and garden area. It also has a year-round patio featuring windowed Nano walls that can open in fair weather or remain closed in winter. Open Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m. to midnight; and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.ShopAtStationPark.com.

School fundraiser at Chipotle

Purchase a kid's meal at a Chipotle Mexican Grill between Friday, Aug. 24 and Friday, Aug. 31, and 100 percent of the proceeds (up to $250,000) will be donated to Veggie U, a non-profit organization dedicated to nutritional and sustainable agriculture in schools. Customers who save their kid's meal receipt can return in September and receive a free kids' meal. In Utah, Chipotle has restaurants at 1011 E. 2100 South, Salt Lake City; and 6924 South Park Centre Drive, Cottonwood Heights

Beer festival

The 2012 Utah Beer Festival will feature 85 different craft brews for sampling.

When • Sunday, Aug. 26, 2 to 7 p.m.

Where • Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main St., Salt Lake City

Cost • $15-$35

Info • UtahBeerFestival.com

Meet Provo farmers

Provo's Heirloom Restaurant Group  which includes Communal, Pizzeria 712 and Mountain West Burrito  will hold a Meet Your Farmer dinner. Producers from Clifford Family Farms, La Nay Ferme and Christiansen's Hog Heaven will discuss their products and farming techniques, while the four-course menu will highlight food from the farms.

When • Monday, Aug. 27, 6 p.m.

Where • Communal, 102 N. University Ave., Provo

Cost • $40 for dinner; optional wine pairing available for an additional $40.